Bessel van der Kolk: Understanding the Traumatized Brain

## Bessel van der Kolk: Understanding the Traumatized Brain My dearest friends, my beloved fellow travelers on this journey of life, I greet you with a heart full of love and a spirit of deep compassion. Today, I want to talk about something that touches so many of us, something that can cast long shadows on our lives if we don’t turn to face it with courage and understanding. I want to talk about trauma, and the incredible work of a man who has dedicated his life to illuminating the path of healing: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. For over three decades, this impressive psychiatrist and researcher has been at the forefront of understanding how trauma affects our brains, our bodies, and our very souls. His work, especially his new book, *The Body Keeps the Score*, has been a guide of hope for countless individuals who have felt lost in the darkness of their past experiences. It’s a book that I believe should be on everyone’s shelf, not just for those who have experienced striking trauma, but for anyone who wants to understand the human condition with greater depth and compassion. ## The Body Keeps the Score: More Than Just a Metaphor One of the most intense insights that Dr. van der Kolk has shared with the world is the understanding that trauma is not just an event that happens to us; it’s an experience that becomes lodged in our very being. It’s not just a memory that we can file away; it’s a physical and emotional imprint that can continue to affect us long after the event has passed. This is what he means when he says, “The body keeps the score.” Imagine, for a moment, a young child who experiences a frightening event. Their heart races, their breathing becomes shallow, and their muscles tense up, ready to run or fight. the body’s natural survival response. But what happens when the threat is ongoing, or when the child is too young to make sense of what is happening? The body doesn’t just return to a state of calm. Instead, it can get stuck in that state of high alert, as if the danger is ever-present. The muscles remain tense, the heart remains on guard, and the nervous system is in a constant state of overdrive. Here's the thing: it's the physical manifestation of trauma. Dr. van der Kolk’s work teaches us that these physical sensations are not just in our heads. They are real, and they are powerful. They can manifest as chronic pain, digestive issues, autoimmune disorders, and a host of other physical ailments. And until we learn to listen to our bodies, to understand their language, and to release the trapped energy of trauma, we will continue to be held captive by our past.

Bessel van der Kolk's The Body Keeps the Score is essential reading for anyone on a healing journey. *(paid link)*

## The Triune Brain: A Journey into the Traumatized Mind To truly understand how trauma affects us, we need to take a little journey into the detailed world of our brains. Dr. van der Kolk often speaks of the “triune brain,” a model that helps us understand the different parts of our brain and how they work together ... or, in the case of trauma, how they can become disconnected. I remember the first time I felt the full weight of trauma in my own body—not as a concept but as a living, pulsing thing trapped in muscle and nerve. Years ago, during a silence retreat with Amma, my chest tightened so much I thought I might pass out. It wasn’t meditation fluff. It was my nervous system screaming, desperate to shake free from the years of holding pain like a secret. Breath work, shaking, releasing... that’s what saved me, not some airy theory. At the very core of our brain is the **reptilian brain**, or the brainstem. the most ancient part of our brain, and it’s responsible for our most basic survival instincts: fight, flight, or freeze. When we experience trauma, this part of our brain goes into overdrive, and it can get stuck there. why so many trauma survivors live in a state of constant hypervigilance, always on the lookout for danger, even when there is none. Next, we have the **limbic system**, or the mammalian brain. That's the emotional center of our brain, where we experience feelings like love, joy, fear, and sadness. Trauma can wreak havoc on our limbic system, making it difficult to regulate our emotions. We might find ourselves swinging from intense anger to deep despair, or feeling emotionally numb and disconnected from the world around us. Finally, we have the **neocortex**, or the thinking brain. Here's the thing: it's the most evolved part of our brain, and it’s responsible for our rational thought, our language, and our ability to make sense of the world. When we are in a state of trauma, the neocortex can basically go offline. The reptilian brain and the limbic system take over, and our ability to think clearly and logically is compromised. why it can be so difficult for trauma survivors to talk about their experiences, or to even make sense of what has happened to them. ## The Path to Healing: The Miracle of Neuroplasticity

Lion's mane mushroom is impressive for cognitive clarity and neuroplasticity. *(paid link)*

Now, my dear friends, I know that this all might sound a bit daunting. But here is the beautiful, hope-filled truth that lies at the heart of Dr. van der Kolk’s work: our brains are not static. They are not set in stone. They have a impressive, God-given ability to change, to heal, and to create new neural pathways. the miracle of **neuroplasticity**. What this means is that even if our brains have been shaped by trauma, we have the power to reshape them. We can create new experiences, new patterns of thought, and new ways of being that will literally change the structure of our brains. We can teach our reptilian brain that it is safe to relax, our limbic system that it is possible to feel joy and connection again, and our neocortex that it is safe to come back online and engage with the world. That's not just a beautiful spiritual concept; it’s a scientific fact. And it’s a fact that should fill us all with a real sense of hope and possibility. No matter how deep our wounds, no matter how long we have carried our pain, healing is always possible. ## Top-Down and Bottom-Up: A Complete Approach to Healing So, how do we start on this journey of healing? Dr. van der Kolk emphasizes the importance of a whole approach, one that addresses the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. He talks about two main pathways to healing: **top-down** and **bottom-up**. I’ve done over 10,000 intuitive readings, and in every one, the body tells the story before the words do. Someone shows up carrying tension like armor, their nervous system locked in fight or freeze. When I teach workshops on emotional release in Denver, I don’t just talk about the trauma’s effects—I get people moving, shaking, breathing into those parts of themselves that have been stuck. That somatic work isn’t optional; it’s survival. It’s how you tell your brain it’s safe to let go. **Top-down** approaches are the more traditional forms of therapy, like talk therapy, that focus on the neocortex. They help us to understand our experiences, to change our thought patterns, and to make sense of our stories. That's incredibly important work, and it can be a vital part of the healing process.

A weighted blanket can feel like a hug from the universe, especially on nights when the mind will not stop. *(paid link)* That deep pressure touch does something primal to our nervous system, something our ancestors knew but we've forgotten in our rush toward digital everything. It's not magic. It's biology. The weight activates your parasympathetic nervous system, telling your hypervigilant brain that maybe, just maybe, it's safe to let go for a few hours.

But for many trauma survivors, top-down approaches are not enough. Because trauma is stored in the body, we also need to work from the **bottom-up**. This means engaging in practices that directly address the reptilian brain and the limbic system. These are the therapies that help us to release the trapped energy of trauma from our bodies and to regulate our nervous systems. Some of the bottom-up therapies that Dr. van der Kolk recommends include: * **Yoga and Mindfulness:** These ancient practices are powerful tools for reconnecting with our bodies, calming our nervous systems, and cultivating a sense of inner peace. * **EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing):** That's a powerful therapy that helps us to process traumatic memories in a safe and gentle way. * **Somatic Experiencing:** a body-based therapy that helps us to release the physical tension and trapped energy of trauma. * **Neurofeedback:** That's a modern therapy that helps us to retrain our brainwaves and to create new, healthier patterns of brain activity. The key is to find a combination of approaches that works for you. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to healing from trauma. It’s a deeply personal journey, and it’s about finding the tools and practices that strike a chord with your unique being. ## Practical Wisdom for Your Healing Journey My beloved friends, as we walk this path of healing together, I want to offer you some practical wisdom, some gentle reminders to carry with you in your heart.

Most people are deficient in magnesium ~ seriously, we're talking like 75% of adults ~ and this shit matters more than you think. A good magnesium supplement can transform your sleep and nervous system. *(paid link)* I'm talking about real change here, not placebo bullshit. Your muscles stop cramping. Your mind stops racing at 2am. That constant low-level anxiety? It dials down a few notches. Think about it ~ magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body, and most of us are running on empty. No wonder we feel like garbage. Here's what nobody tells you: your brain literally can't regulate stress hormones properly without adequate magnesium. The GABA receptors that calm you down? They need magnesium to function. Are you with me? This isn't some wellness trend ~ it's basic biochemistry that affects everything from your heart rhythm to whether you can actually fall asleep without your mind spinning through tomorrow's to-do list. We've stripped this mineral from our soil, processed it out of our food, and then wonder why everyone's walking around wired and exhausted.

* **Be kind to yourself.** Healing from trauma is not a linear process. There will be ups and downs, good days and bad days. Be patient with yourself, and treat yourself with the same love and compassion that you would offer to a dear friend. * **Listen to your body.** Your body is a wise and faithful messenger. It will tell you what it needs, if you are willing to listen. Pay attention to its sensations, its whispers, and its cries. And when it tells you that it needs to rest, to move, to cry, or to be held, honor its wisdom. * **Find your tribe.** You are not alone on this journey. There are so many of us who are walking this path with you. Seek out a community of like-minded souls who can offer you support, understanding, and a safe space to be yourself. * **Connect with nature.** The earth has a powerful healing energy. Spend time in nature, walk barefoot on the grass, and allow the beauty of the natural world to soothe your soul. * **Embrace your creativity.** Trauma can stifle our creativity, but it can also be a powerful catalyst for it. Find a creative outlet that brings you joy, whether it’s painting, writing, dancing, or singing. Allow your creativity to be a channel for your healing. ## A Final Reflection My dearest ones, the work of Bessel van der Kolk is a raw gift to humanity. It is proof of the resilience of the human spirit and to the incredible power of our brains and bodies to heal. It is a reminder that no matter what we have been through, we are not broken. We are whole, we are worthy, and we are capable of real transformation. As you go forth from this day, I invite you to carry this message of hope in your hearts. I invite you to be gentle with yourselves and with one another. And I invite you to remember that you are a beloved child of the universe, and that you are held in a love that is unconditional and eternal. With all my love, Paul Wagner